Waden Charles has spent his sophomore season becoming exactly the kind of player UCF needs right now: productive, dependable and impossible to ignore. The Knights receiver has stepped into a full-time starting role, and with it, he’s taken on the kind of leadership that goes beyond catches and touchdowns.
Through the season, Charles has started every game except Week 1 and has emerged as one of UCF’s top targets alongside senior Josh Derry. He ranks second on the team with 14 receptions and 169 yards, and he leads the group with two touchdowns.
His numbers were nearly even with Derry’s before last Saturday’s matchup with No. 20 Houston, when Charles broke through with a season-high 101 yards on seven catches. He also delivered back-to-back touchdowns against Pittsburgh and Georgia State, a stretch that reinforced how much he’s grown since the second half of his freshman year.
That progress has made him more than just another receiver in Scott Frost’s second tenure. Charles has become part of the fabric of the new culture at UCF, helping steady an older roster that was reshaped by January’s transfer portal.
“I’m helpful to a lot of guys on this team now,” Charles said during Monday’s media availability. “I know what it takes to be a leader, and I know what it takes to help this team win.”
That role matters because Charles isn’t learning the system from scratch. He’s a returner who already knows Frost’s offense, and that familiarity has allowed him to help new arrivals settle in quickly. He’s also been a guide for the freshmen, giving the younger receivers a template to follow.
Tyren Hornes is one of those freshmen making noise. Against Houston, he posted his best game yet, finishing with four catches for 34 yards. One of his biggest plays came on an 18-yard grab in the closing moments of the second quarter.
Quarterback Keyone Jenkins looked Hornes’ way twice before halftime as UCF tried to move into field goal range, and most of Hornes’ production came on the final three plays of the first half.
That kind of development echoes what Charles did a year ago. He started the final five games of last season and finished with 215 yards on 17 receptions, giving the Knights another piece they could trust.
Now, Charles is setting the standard for the next wave. He’s become the example of how a freshman can grow into a major contributor and then turn into one of the players shaping the program’s identity.
In Other News...
UCF Needs Its Passing Game Fast With Oklahoma State Up Next
UCFs loss to Houston was already hard enough to absorb after a 17-0 lead slipped away, but the bigger concern may be how quickly the Knights can get their passing game back on track. Backup quarterback Keyone Jenkins was part of that uneven afternoon, and the offense has spent the week trying to steady itself after a game in which the aerial attack never truly settled in. Against a defense like Houstons, the issues showed up in the kind of way UCF cannot afford to let linger with No. 18 Oklahoma State next on the schedule.
Scott Frost has pointed to the need for more production downfield without pinning the problem on the receivers alone, but the numbers still tell a grim story for a Power 4 offense that ranks near the bottom in receiving yards. Oklahoma State brings a much different challenge, with Drew Mestemaker coming off recent performances that featured more than 300 passing yards and multiple touchdowns. For UCF, the question is less about style and more about urgency, because the Knights will need sharper timing and more explosive plays fast. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Could Be Getting Back A Star It Desperately Needs
Riley Kugel was the kind of scorer UCF mens basketball leaned on last season, and the Knights suddenly have reason to think they might not have seen the end of his college run. Kugel has received favorable legal rulings that could open the door to an extra year of NCAA eligibility, a development that matters for a program looking to keep proven production close to home rather than replacing it from scratch.
Kugel had already moved on toward the pro path, declaring for the NBA Draft before going undrafted and later landing with the Los Angeles Clippers for Summer League. But with the eligibility question now tilting his way, UCF is watching a situation that could reshape its backcourt and alter the rest of its offseason plans, even if the final answer still has to play out. [Read more 🡒]
Baylors Season Outlook Just Shifted In A Big Way
Baylors sharp showing against Arizona State changed the conversation around the Bears in a hurry, especially with a stretch of the Big 12 schedule coming up that looks manageable enough to keep building momentum. The early read on the league has plenty of moving parts, too, from Texas Techs habit of digging itself an early hole before turning things around in the second half to the broader sense that one strong weekend can quickly reshape how the conference race feels.
For UCF, the bigger concern has been at quarterback, where injuries have already forced the Knights to keep adjusting on the fly just to stay functional at the position. That uncertainty has made every snap at the spot matter even more, because any lingering health question can change how the offense is built from one week to the next. [Read more 🡒]